Worth It
by princessreigns
Summary: Carmen recently moved to Tampa because she needed a new beginning. She catches the eye of one of WWE's newest stars who adds some adventure to her new start, but she can't escape her past that easily. Memories resurface and remind her of why she ran in the first place, leaving her to wonder if a happy ending is in the cards for her. Roman Reigns/OC.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN : Remember that Roman Reigns/OC story I constantly said I was working on? Well guess what, here it is! After at least a year of prepping and planning (which I am still doing), the first chapter is finally here. I have rewritten this more times than I can count, but I am happy with how this chapter turned out. I have a lot of things that I want to do with this fic, and this is a slow start but hopefully things will pick up soon . As a writer, I am proud of it and I hope that as a reader you all will enjoy it. Please let me know what you think; thorough reviews are desired and much appreciated. :)**_

* * *

A car crash.

That is exactly what the store looked like during the holiday season. Various smells and decorations filled the entire store. Small children were scattered everywhere, pointing at toys and pulling at garland as their parents chased after them. It was late in the evening and after a long day at work, all of it was giving Carmen Garcia a headache, but Christmas was quickly approaching and she had to get a few more things before flying home for the holiday.

Speaking of children, she said a quick prayer before going onto the toy aisle, knowing that the area would be littered with kids and young teens. She loved children; actually, the only reason she was looking through toys in the first place was for her nephew but right now, this was the last place she wanted to be.

"You're gonna hurt your back bending over like that." Carmen heard someone say. She was about to come up with some quick-witted reply until she stood upright and saw a very well-built man standing a few feet away from her. Her eyes widen, his sheer size astonishing her. He was groomed nicely, a goatee and slight beard highlighting his chiseled jawline. His hair was pulled back into the neatest bun she had ever seen on a man. His large muscles filled out the long-sleeve Under Armour jacket he wore and he had on a pair of black track pants and matching shoes. He was a big guy. Perhaps he was a football player, out and about on his day off, but certainly he did not look like the demographic who shopped in this part of the store.

"Maybe but you have to get eye level with some of these things," She replied. Surely, he would know more about that than her. He was definitely over six-feet tall, as he towered over her five-foot-two-inch frame. His height, however, was not the only thing that caught her attention. His shopping basket filled with kids toys was quite the ice breaker. "Presents for your kids?"

"Nah, no kids here. Just getting some stuff for my nieces and nephews. What about you?"

"Same, my oldest nephew wanted an action figure but I'm not too sure as to what it looks like." Carmen pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and checked her shopping list before looking at the items on the shelf. "Something or somebody by the name of John Cena."

"John Cena?" He reiterated, his eyebrow raising as he grinned slightly. "Oh, I know exactly what he looks like." He took a step back and looked over the toys that hung on the shelves. When he did not see the item in question, he walked to the next aisle and she followed behind him. "Ah, here you go." He grabbed the figure and handed it to her. "He's your nephew's favorite?"

She glanced at the toy before looking back up at him. "Yeah, I guess so. He must be some kind of kid magnet because he's all my nephew ever talks about when I'm around."

"Kids love 'em but he has his fair share of older fans too, been around long enough to cover all the demographics."

"You know him?"

"Yeah we work together."

"Oh...what you do for a living? You look like an athlete," She observed.

"I'm a professional wrestler," He said.

"Oh." Inadvertently, she checked him out. It interested her that he was a pro wrestler. She knew nothing about the sport but from what she heard from her younger relatives, some of them had wrestling names so she asked, "Do you have a wrestling name?"

"Yeah, it's Roman Reigns but my real name's Joe." He held his hand out and she shook it, his palm nearly swallowing hers, as their eyes met. Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed his eye color. They were a hue of gray, beautifully contrasting against his olive skin tone. A surge of nerves ran down her spine, catching her off guard, but she shook the feeling off before it could settle in. "Well it's nice to meet you, Joe. I'm Carmen."

"Carmen," He repeated, "That's a beautiful name."

"Thanks," Carmen said, briefly breaking eye contact to hide her blushing cheeks. She diverted the topic of discussion back to holiday shopping. "You're finishing up Christmas shopping too?"

"Since I just flew in, I figured I'd stop by here before going home and grab the gifts I should have bought earlier. I tried dressing kind of low-key, too, so I could come in and out unnoticed," He said.

"Do fans approach you a lot?"

"Yeah, more so now than when I first started and don't get me wrong, I love the fans and I don't mind signing autographs and stuff, but I'm running low on sleep and all I wanna do right now is get home and sleep."

"You said you just flew in...from where?"

"Corpus Christi," He replied. "I've been in Texas all week taping shows, but luckily I got the next five days at home for Christmas break."

Carmen motioned towards the pair of shades that hung on the zipper of his jacket. "Well I guess you should put your glasses back on before someone recognizes you," She suggested.

"Wrestling fans are pretty observant; they'd recognize me even if I did have these on," Joe stated, "but I've been here for almost twenty-minutes and so far, no one's noticed a thing."

"Maybe that's because everyone's trying to get in and out of here just like you are."

"I guess." Joe continued to trail the toy aisle and since they continued to talk, Carmen fell in beside him. He gave off a laid back vibe, so it felt like she was just talking to a friend. It was nice and it made her shopping experience on the children aisle less hectic. "You ready for the holiday season?" Joe asked.

Carmen shrugged. "It's upon us now, so I might as well be. My family certainly is, that's for sure."

"Is your family from here?"

"No." And she was thankful for that but there was no need to go divulging her family problems to a complete stranger. "My family lives in Miami where I was born but I do have a couple of relatives that live here."

"So I guess that notion about Miami having so many beautiful women is true then." Carmen bit the inside of her bottom lip, trying suppress the grin on her face. Man, he was quite the charmer, and it seemed to come so naturally to him. After all, he was a handsome man. Surely, women fell at his feet. Even she felt beguiled by his charm, but before she could form a reply, a loud gasp caught both of their attention.

"Oh my god! Roman Reigns!" An aisle over, there stood three teenage girls and two boys, their eyes and mouths wide as they took in the presence of the professional wrestler. "Someone's been spotted," Said Carmen.

"Looks that way," He muttered, half-smiling, and threw his hand up at them. The girls bounced up and down on their heels and Carmen swore they were going to break their ankles. She did not want to be rushed by the small group of teens, so she said her goodbyes and went about her way. She got one last look at him before the girls crowded around him, pushing things at him to sign while the boys snapped pictures with their cell phones.

Before he even mentioned his lack of sleep, she could see the exhaustion written all over his face, so for him to replace that with a smile and give the fans a fraction of his time without a single complaint, was really commendable. She knew she probably would not see him again before she left, but she hoped he made it out without getting hassled by more fans, got home and got as much sleep as he needed.

Carmen went around the rest of the store, continuing her shopping and checking off her list as she went along. Once she had everything, she made a beeline for the nearest exit and powerwalked to her car. She made quick work of loading the bags into her trunk, got behind the wheel and started the engine.

The Miami native was more than ready to be at home, but as she put her foot on the brake to change gears, she caught sight of her gym bag sitting on the backseat, staring back at her. She gripped the stirring wheel and sighed, wondering how in the world she forgot to workout today.

Knowing that she could not finish her day until she did, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the one place in her life that kept her sane.

* * *

Swinging her gym bag over her shoulder, Carmen pulled open the door to _Universal Fitness._ Because it was later in the evening, it was less crowded and only a few gym-goers were scattered here and there.

"What's up Carmen!" A young man wearing a Nike tank top called out to Carmen as she scanned her membership card. "You look hotter every time I see you, girl."

Carmen smiled politely. "Hi Nick, how are you?" Nick was one of the trainers at UF and had been working there since the place opened almost two years ago. Since Carmen became a member, he had made it routine to flirt with her any time she came to workout. Admittedly, he did it in the beginning because he had a crush on her, but over the course of the last few months, they had established a great, mutual friendship. Still, he flattered her with compliments and cute terms of endearment but by now, she was use to it and it had become a trend in their relationship.

Nick responded, "The fitness heiress has been working me like a mule, but I'm making it."

"The fitness heiress, huh?"

He grinned and took a swig of the water from his water bottle. "Creative, right? I just came up with it today."

"Does Teresa know you call her that?"

"Nope but her daddy owns the place so I thought it was fitting."

Teresa came from around the corner with her arms crossed over her chest and an intrigued look on her face. "A fitness heiress...yeah, I like the sound of that. Maybe I should get it engraved on my name plate," She teased, then saw her friend sitting there. "Hey Car, is Nicholas done harassing you?"

"He doesn't harass me," Carmen defended. Nick playfully stuck his tongue out at Teresa and she threw a balled up towel at him but missed when he ducked. He started to chuckle but pouted when she told him to get back to work. Carmen shook her head. "You two are always picking at each other."

Teresa assured, "It's all in good fun. He's a good friend and a great employee. You know, he's rivaling me with his number of trainees. Don't tell him though. His head barely fits into this place as it is," She said and the two girls laughed. "But enough about him, how's my best friend?"

"Good, but tired. I feel like I have been running on E since this morning." She and Teresa Morea had been good friends since the girls' senior year of high school. When Teresa transferred schools after moving from Queens to Miami, Carmen was the first person to make the New Yorker feel comfortable in her new environment. They became friends very quickly and had been ever since.

They went over to the juice bar and Carmen settled onto a stool. "We gotta perk you up then. How about I fix up your favorite smoothie, a berry blast with an extra protein kick?"

"Thanks, I sure could use one." While Teresa started up the smoothie machine, Carmen put her bag on the floor by the stool and scanned the main floor, spotting another pair of employees. "Kara and Devon seem rather cozy over there, don't they?"

Teresa's eyes followed Carmen's and landed on the pairing who stood closely together, chatting by the entrance to the express workout room. "I think she likes him. She's had her eyes on him since daddy hired 'em."

"Well, Devon is an attractive man," Carmen stated, pausing as she looked back at Teresa. "Does it bother you at all?"

Teresa knew Carmen was referring to her and Devon's short-lived romance. The attraction between them was immediate, but out of respect for her father, his boss, Devon wanted to keep things between them strictly professional. That notion, however, went straight out of the window one night when they were the last ones at the gym for closing. One minute they were cleaning up, the next she was riding him as he sat against one of the ab crunch machines. They continued to hook up after that until Teresa called it quits three months later.

She shook her head, her gaze lingering on him longer than it should. "No, it doesn't bother me. We never dated, so he can be with whoever he wants. I just don't think him and Kara would last long," She supposed, passing Carmen her smoothie and a straw.

"Why not?"

"Because Kara's young and naïve. I like her and she's a really sweet girl, but Devon is a grown man; she's a little girl. She couldn't handle a man like that. It takes a special kind of woman to take him on."

Carmen took a long sip of her smoothie, raising her eyebrow in question. "A woman like you perhaps?"

Teresa's eyes narrowed. "No not me, smartass, but it'd take a strong one. Kara would only get her heart broken fooling around with a man like him."

Carmen ignored her friend's innocuous jab and stood up, announcing, "Well, I'm going to go change into my gym clothes. Watch my drink for me?" Teresa nodded, shooing her away as she grabbed the drink and kept it by her side. Finished with her last training session for the day, she decided to stay and cover smoothie-making duties.

"Hey see you later, Reese," Kara hollered out, waving as she passed the front desk, Devon at her side.

Teresa paused, putting her hand on her hip. "Where are you two going?"

"It's my sister's birthday and me and a few of our friends are taking her out to dinner. Remember? I told you about it yesterday and you said it'd be okay if I left before closing." Kara recalled, hopefully jogging Teresa's memory.

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, you did say that...okay, that's fine." She lifted her head at Devon. "And you?"

"I'm her ride," He stated, short and simple.

Teresa went to rebut but remembered that Devon was Kara's way home because the young girl had been having car troubles for the past couple of days. She broke eye contact with Devon and turned to readdress Kara. "Well, have fun then. Tell Crystal I said happy birthday."

"Will do," She said and the pairing continued to the door with Teresa's last image of them being Kara giggling at whatever it was Devon said to her.

Carmen soon came back over, dressed in a sports bra, gym shorts and running shoes with her hair tied in a tight ponytail, ready to work out. She got her smoothie back and said, "I'm going to hit the treadmill. Want to join me or are you done for the day?"

"Nah, I could use a run. Just give me a minute."

After putting Nick back at the front area, Teresa tied her hair up and the two friends went into the cardio room and started up a couple of treadmills. Carmen put her smoothie in a drink holder, connected her earbuds to her iPhone and started the hard rock radio on her Pandora app. "You have any gossip for me?"

Being an experienced trainer, Teresa had developed a good camaraderie with most of her trainees and during sessions, a few of them would fill her in on the drama going on in their lives. If the drama was juicy enough, Teresa divulged the details to Carmen, as her barista/waitress job usually lacked excitement. "Unfortunately no, but one of my trainees did ask me out today."

Carmen's eyebrows rose. "Did you say yes?"

"Actually, I did...I know, surprising," She said at Carmen's facial expression. Since the end of her last serious relationship, Teresa kept dating to a severe minimum, and any relations she did have did not last long enough for it to flourish into anything permanent.

"Well, give me some details. What is his name? Where is he from? What is he like?"

Teresa replied, "His name's Aiden. He's British, born and raised in Newcastle, I think. I've been training with him since September, and we always flirted with each other. Well today after his session, he asked me to go to dinner with him tomorrow night, and I said yes."

"You've turned down countless men in the past. What about this one made you say yes?" Asked Carmen

"He's hot, for one," She said, counting off her fingers. "Plus, his sexy accent was too convincing for me to say no. It also helps that he has a nice body. Seriously Carmen, you should see his abs." She fanned herself at the thought, but by then, Carmen was shaking her head as she tuned her friend out. Teresa added, "I also invited him to Selena's New Years' Eve party, so if things go well, you'll get to meet him. You're still coming right?"

Carmen did not care for parties, and she really did not care for Teresa's childhood friend, Selena Pastrano, but she had already agreed to go. "You've never known me to break a promise. I said I would go, so I'll be there."

"Good. You know, there's still some time left until the party. Maybe, we can find you a date too."

Carmen quickly rejected the idea. "I don't need a date."

"No, you don't _need_ a date, but it wouldn't hurt to have one. It's been a few months since you've been on a date too, remember?"

She remembered just fine, and it was with good reason. "I know, but I'm more than content with my love life."

"You mean the lack there of." Carmen glared at Teresa, and she raised her hands in false surrender. "I'm just saying, Car. I just think you should get back out there too. Have some fun, you know."

Carmen sighed, not wanting to have this conversation, so she ended it before her emotions got the best of her. "I would rather be single. Things are just easier that way."

Teresa glanced at Carmen and could tell that this was a talk she did not want to have anymore, so she figured it would be best to change the subject. "Okay...well did you finish up your Christmas shopping today? You said you were doing that today."

She nodded. "The gifts are in my trunk. I will finish wrapping them tomorrow."

"Did you get something for your best friend?" Teresa asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Of course I did," she said, "And before you ask, no, I am not giving you a hint this year. You can come pick it up before you fly home on Monday though."

"You'll still be home Monday morning?"

"My flight home is not scheduled until later in the day, which gives me the perfect chance to tidy up the entire place before I leave."

"I'm guessing you're not too thrilled about going home this year."

That was an understatement to say the least. "Definitely not, but I figured I should go because I haven't seen my parents in a while. And how they act aside, you only get two of them. I don't want me avoiding them to come back to bite me later in life."

"True," Teresa agreed, "And who knows? Maybe you can sit down with them and patch things up."

Carmen doubted that, but she would not turn down the opportunity. "Perhaps but I'll see what happens." Her machine switched to cool down mode as it began to slow down. Carmen checked the time on her phone. "It's almost closing time, isn't it?"

Teresa checked her wrist watch. "Yep ugh, I have to go find Nick before he starts getting fussy." She turned off her machine and stepped off it.

"Why would he do that?"

"Because I told him to close up for me tonight, but I have the keys." She pulled the gym keys from her belt bag and jingled them in the air. While Teresa left the room in search for Nick, Carmen shut her machine off, wiped it down and went to the locker room to change.

"About to head out, babe?" Nick asked once Carmen came from back, fully dressed in her sweats, tank top and hoodie from earlier. Nick was putting his jacket on and zipping it up.

"Yeah I have to get home. I have work in the morning."

"Chris got you working this close to Christmas?" Nick shook his head, referring to Carmen's boss. "That's foul. You deserve a break."

"I'll get enough breaks during the Christmas and New Year holidays," She told him. "I'll let Chris know how you feel about him overworking me though."

Teresa came up beside Nick and swung her arm over his shoulder. "Nicholas, did you take care of wiping down the equipment and resetting the weights?"

"Okay first, we agreed that you wouldn't call me by my whole name. Second, yeah I did. Can I lock up and go now?" He held his hand out, blinking at her impatiently.

"I think since you created a silly nickname for me that it is only fair for me to call you Nicholas until I can come up with a stupid nickname for you." She said before dropping the keys into his hand. "Now you can lock up and please...do not lose the keys this time. If you do, it's coming out of your paycheck.

"That only happened once and I found them later that week in my laundry!" Nick grumbled, stomping away like a petulant child. Giggling at his antics, Carmen turned and hugged her friend goodbye. Teresa said, "I'll see you tomorrow, girl. Make sure he doesn't mess up my palace, okay?"

"Sure." They exchanged air kisses then Teresa left. Carmen stayed behind for a few minutes, waiting on Nick. Once he finished up, he came to the front, his gym bag in tow. He swung his free arm around Carmen's shoulder and walked her to her car. "Will I have the pleasure of seeing your pretty face tomorrow?"

"Depends on if I get off work in time and on how generous I'm feeling. We'll see."

"Well if not, just shoot me a pic. It's not the same but I'll still appreciate its beauty."

Carmen shook her head again, patting his shoulders. "Have a goodnight, Nick."

"Goodnight!" They hugged before Carmen got in her car and Nick shut her door for her. She watched him walk to his truck before pulling off. Traffic had lightened up, so it did not take her long to arrive at the condominium complex where she lived. She pulled in, parked in her usual spot, retrieved the bags from her truck and went up to her room.

Walking in, she tiredly dropped the bags onto the floor by the door and left them there. After getting out the shower, she slipped into something more comfortable, turned the light off and climbed into bed, choosing to ignore the turmoil that her bedroom floor was in. Blindly, she grabbed her phone, set an alarm and placed it back on the nightstand. Laying her face against the pillow, she sunk into the mattress and closed her eyes, letting her mind wonder what tomorrow would bring before sleep consumed her.

* * *

 _ **Chapter one. Complete. Thoughts?**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN:** **First off, big thanks to**_ _BlondieC82_ _ **,** MsDbz_ _4life, Cena's baby doll_ , _IRENELOVE83, vkchev74, corbettluv_ _ **and**_ _MrsBellaWhitlock123_ _ **for reviewing the first chapter. I'm glad you all liked it and thought I did such a good job. It was definitely reassuring, and I really appreciate it. Thanks also goes to those of you who favored and followed the story. I apologize for this chapter being published later than intended, but it's finally here, and I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much as the last. And if you're a new reader, then, welcome aboard. Now, let's keep things going with this new chapter. Enjoy! :)**_

* * *

It was early the next morning, and Christopher was sweeping the main floor of _Valente Café_. From where he was standing, he could hear the employee-only entrance in the back swing open. He paused for a small second and glanced at his wrist watch and immediately, he knew of only one employee who would come in as early as he did. "Hola, Buenos Dias, Carmen."

"Buenos dias, Chris," She spoke, passing through the door and going straight to the back. Once she put on an apron and tied her hair into a ponytail, she came to the front and greeted her boss with a hug. Chris noted, "In before your shift even starts, I see."

"As long as we've known each other, Christopher, that really should not surprise you anymore." Christopher Castillo was more than her employer; he was like family. He and his late father, whom the café was named after, had been playing a huge role in her life since she was a young girl. As a teenager, Sr. Castillo became her very first boss, and now, all these years later, his son played that role. Things had truly come full circle.

Chris replied, "Believe me, it doesn't. You've always been quite the early bird."

"I have," She reinforced. "And you know what they say about early birds, Castillo."

"I know what the saying says, Garcia," Chris stated and passed the broom off to her. "Take over floor cleaning duties for me. I gotta grab some stuff from the store room."

Chris went to the back, and Carmen took care of the main floor. While she was cleaning and restocking some items, her good friend and fellow co-worker, a brown-haired woman who was about the same height as Carmen, came in. They, too, greeted each other with a hug. "Hey Jasmyn."

"Hey, chica. How's your morning been?"

"Good so far," She replied then raised her voice so Chris could hear her. "But it still depends on how much Christopher decides to work me for today." Carmen heard her boss make a playful scoffing noise, and she grinned before addressing Jasmyn again. "What about you?"

"Really good. Rey flower bombed me this morning." Jasmyn told, beaming. She put her index fingers behind her earlobes to show off a new pair of earrings that she was wearing. "He also surprised me with these babies, said they were a preview and that my real gift would definitely top them."

Carmen smiled as Jasmyn cooed over her boyfriend. "Ooh, Rey's pulling out all the stops this year. He must really have something big planned for you."

"He's surely making it seem that way, but he won't give me any hints. I think I know what he's getting me though." Jasmyn held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger."

"You think he'll propose?"

"From the way he's been acting, it seems that way. Not to mention, we've been dating for while. I think it's about time we take that next step in our relationship. After all, a girl can only wait for so long."

"Well, I hope you get the ring you want and deserve. That way, at least one of us will enjoy our Christmas holiday," Carmen said to her. The two of them, along with Chris, continued to chitchat and do work around the café until Chris unlocked the doors and turned the sign on the door to 'open' and soon, the morning rush came piling in and everyone went to work, serving customers.

Carmen brought one of the first orders of the day to an older, familiar patron. "Ms. Gonzalez, I got your egg whites, your muffins and your coffee." Iliana Gonzalez was the owner of _Artistic Motion Dance Company,_ a dance studio located in downtown Tampa. When Carmen was not at the café, she assisted in teaching a few dance classes there.

The older woman expressed her gratitude. "Gracias, _cari_ _ñ_ _o._ Are you still stopping by the studio today to help finish decorating?"

"Everyone's shifts are shorter today, so I should get off in time to stop by and help," Carmen told her. They exchanged some idle chitchat before she moved to her next table.

The café was not a big establishment and usually only people in the nearby communities came by, but the morning rush was always a large crowd and it kept Carmen and all of her co-workers busy. The pressure and fast pace of it all would have overwhelmed most people, but being that the Miami native was a morning person, she loved working that shift the most. Not to mention, the morning rush brought her the most tips and those tips brought in most of her income.

While Carmen was serving some customers who sat at the front counter, the café door swung open, but that did not break her focus. She moved around the front area like she was on autopilot, working the counter and the main floor simultaneously. After serving an elderly couple and two families with bratty, overactive children, she went back to the counter. She wiped some sweat from her forehead and grabbed her pen and pad, turning in the direction of the new customer without looking up at him. "Coffee for your cream, sir?"

"Actually, I'd like my cream black, thanks."

Carmen looked up and locked eyes with a familiar pair of gray irises. Then, she realized what she had said and wanted to smack herself. "Joe, oh my gosh, I'm sorry. I meant, um, cream for your coffee...sir."

He waved off her apology. "It's okay. I can tell from the way you move around this place that you have a lot on your plate." Joe got a good look at her and recognized her, glad to see her again. "Carmen right?" She nodded. "I'd never forget a pretty face."

Carmen smiled, blushing, but didn't dwell on the comment for too long. She had to recompose herself and do her job. "Um, can I get you anything, sir?"

"For starters, you don't have to call me sir. I don't have that many miles on me just yet," He joked and she smiled again. "But as far as what you can get me, how about just another cup of coffee?"

"Two? But you haven't even touched this one yet."

"I know. The second cup is for you. Seems to me like you could use a break, sweetheart."

Carmen's eyebrows rose, his caring reply taking her back. "Oh...yeah that'd be nice, but I don't have time for a break right now. That's next to impossible during the morning rush. Plus, my boss wouldn't be too happy with me for sitting down on the job."

Joe asked, "Well, are you off tomorrow?"

"Yeah...why?"

"Because if you don't have any other plans, perhaps you could take a break with me tomorrow night, maybe over a nice dinner and some drinks? Or if breakfast is more your speed, we grabbed some cream. Get some coffee on the side."

"You mean, like a date?"

"Yeah if that's okay with you."

Again, Carmen found herself taken aback, this time by his forwardness. He wanted to go out with her? Why? Apart from meeting yesterday, they didn't know each other. And wasn't he only going to home for a few days before going back on the road for his job? Did he just want to pass some time with her? All of these questions flooded her mind at once and she didn't know what to think.

No doubt was Joe an attractive man; she noted that yesterday, and there was a something about him that intrigued her, but she never thought about acting on, partly because she thought she would never see him again. Seemed faith proved her wrong, but still, going out with him wasn't something she planned on doing. Dating, period, was something she didn't plan on doing. After everything she'd been through, it was too soon to dive back into the fray. "I really don't think I should," She said, trying to let him down nicely. "After all, what if I say yes and our date ends up getting interrupted by more of you fans?"

Joe sighed, apologized, "I'm really sorry about that. I actually wanted to ask you out before all that happened."

"Really?"

He assured her, "Yeah really, or I was at least hoping that I left with your number."

"Seems like you had a plan from the moment you saw me."

"I did and unfortunately, I didn't get to execute it," He said and leaned forward, bringing himself in closer proximity to her. "But now that we're seeing each other again and I have a second chance, I have to at least try."

Unintentionally, her gaze ran over Joe's athletic frame. Their eyes locked when her brown irises met his grays again, and Carmen felt a chill run down her spine at the intense look in his eyes. "I commend you for trying," She began to say, "but I don't like to give out my number."

Joe nodded. "Okay, then, would you be okay with me giving you mine? It'd be completely up to you whether you used it or not."

 _Dang, he's persistent._ "Completely up to me?"

"Completely up to you," Joe reiterated.

Carmen fiddled with the ring she was wearing, her mind racing, but she took a breath and forced herself not to overthink it. After all, she didn't have to use his number if she didn't want to. He was putting the control in her hands. Why not take advantage of that? "Okay." She pulled her phone from her back pocket, passed it to him and he put his name and number in her contacts.

Joe finished his cup of coffee and stood to his feet. He retrieved his wallet from the pocket of his pants and slid a tip across the counter to her. Carmen picked it up and unfolded. "Twenty dollars? Are you sure?" Twenty just for a cup of coffee? That had to be a mistake. Maybe he meant to reach for a smaller bill and accidently pulled out a twenty?

"Positive. One ten's for the great coffee and service and the other's just because."

"Well, thank you," She said, giving him a small smile.

"No problem. See you soon, sweetheart." He said back, his words as confident as his smile. Carmen watched him leave until she could not see his figure anymore. Once he was out of sight, she looked at her phone screen, staring at the ten digits he'd entered along with his name and wondered if she'd use it or lose it.

* * *

At the end of her workday, Carmen went home, and as soon as she went through the door, she tossed her bags to the side. She pulled the hair tie from her hair, threw it on the floor to join her bags and ran her fingers through her hair. As she entered her bedroom and saw the storm she left it in the night before, she groaned, wishing she did not have to weather through it.

Her carpet was scattered with boxes, gifts and pieces of giftwrap. She hated that she had waited to the last minute to finish wrapping the presents, but she had had so much on her mind as of late that everything else took a back seat, including the holiday season. Had she not already made plans to go home, she would have ruled out celebrating this year all together, but she refused to let her circumstance turn her into a Grinch.

This year's Christmas would be much different than her last, but she was determined to make the best of it. To start, she moved the mess from her bedroom into her living area and grabbed some extra gift wrap from her laundry room before settling down onto her couch to finish gift wrapping.

She had successfully wrapped and put away four gifts before she heard a knock at her door. She considered ignoring it, but it grew louder and more persistent. "Ugh, hold on! I'm coming!" Carmen got up and tried not to trip as she walked towards the door. Before she could reach it, the door came open and Teresa came in, fully ready to scold her for taking so long but stopped when she saw the state of Carmen's living room. "Woah. Did Santa's elves throw up in here or what?"

Carmen rolled her eyes. "I know my place is a mess, Reese. No need to point it out," She said. "How did you get in here anyways?"

She held a key in the air before shoving it back into her pocket. "You gave me a copy of your key when you moved in, said you wanted me to have a copy just in case of emergency."

"So where's the emergency?"

"There isn't one," She said then spotted the gifts on the floor. "Ooh, presents." Teresa picked up one of the gifts and gave it a small shake. "Is this one mine? Feels kind of heavy."

Carmen pulled the gift away from Teresa's grasp. "No, this one is for Jas. I have your gift locked away somewhere."

"Fine." Teresa pouted but sat down next to Carmen and grabbed a tapped up box off the floor and some gift wrap. "Need some help?"

"I do but shouldn't you be getting ready for your date with Aiden?"

"He's not coming over until later, so I have plenty of time. Plus, you act like I can't rush up to my room like I don't live fifteen floors above you."

"It might not take you long to go from my room to yours, but we both know you take forever and a day to get ready," Carmen said.

Teresa defended herself, saying, "I like to look good, which isn't hard to do considering my genetics, but it still requires some time and effort. Not all of us can just wake up and go like you."

"I wake up and go because unlike you, I don't care about getting all glammed up," Carmen stated. "But speaking of dates..." She paused, preparing herself for her friend's reaction. "I was asked to go on a date too."

"Someone asked you out! Oh my gosh, who?"

"His name is Joe. I met him yesterday before I came to the gym."

"Well how hot is he?" Teresa asked. "He is hot, isn't he?"

"He's nice looking," She told, being nonchalant as possible. She could only imagine how Teresa would have reacted if she knew how good Joe really looked. "But anyways, he asked me to go out with him, and I don't know if I should go or not."

"You're telling me that an attractive man asked you out and you don't know whether to say yes or no? Is something wrong with him?"

Carmen shook her head. "No, nothing seems to be wrong with him. I just don't know if I'm ready to start back dating, especially after everything that happened."

Teresa knew exactly what 'everything' was and understood her friend's hesitation but at the same time, she also thought it was time for her to move forward with her life. "Carmen, it's been a little over four months now-"

"I know exactly how long it's been, Teresa. It's not something I've exactly lost count of." Carmen wished she could let it go, but the wound was still fresh. She knew moving on would take her some time, so was it really a good idea to start seeing someone new, even if it was just a date? "I want to forget about it and him, but I'm learning that it's going to take a lot more than just moving two-hundred plus miles away to do that."

Teresa treaded lightly as she asked her next question. "You don't still miss him, do you?"

"Him? No," Or at least she'd convinced herself of that. "I just don't think it's time to start back dating. I don't want to put my heart back out there, only for it to get broken again." Truth be told, it hadn't heal yet and that's what Carmen was most afraid of. Her heart had been played with once. She'd be damned if she let it happen again, especially by someone who was probably just looking to pass some time.

Teresa put her arm around her friend. "You may not think you should start back dating, but I think you should. You know what motto I live by: to get over an old guy, you get a new one. Now I'm not saying sleep with the guy, which I know you won't do anyways, but go out and have fun. Don't sit around and mope over some asshole who didn't deserve you in the first place. Heck, show his punk ass what he's missing."

Carmen went to dismiss the negative comments Teresa used to describe her ex but knew it would be of no use, so she let it slide. "I don't think it's that simple."

"It is that simple. You're sitting around waiting on time, but time can move awfully slow when you're waiting on it. You'll move on much faster if you start the healing process yourself," Teresa insisted. "Did you get Joe's number?"

"Yeah, it's in my phone."

"Good, so when I leave here, call him and tell him you'd love to go out with him. You don't have to jump into another relationship but at least, start going out again. You never know; you might have a good time, and even if the date sucks, just move on to the next one. You got options, girl. You just have to use them."

Carmen looked at Teresa and gave her a small smile. "Where'd you get all this advice from?"

"Most of it comes from blogs and magazines, but don't worry. It's creditable."

"Of course it is," She said and shifted her focus back to gift wrapping. The two of them spent the next half hour tending to the presents until Aiden texted Teresa and she had to go. Once she left, Carmen put everything away and departed to her room.

* * *

Later that night, Carmen sat up in bed, staring at Joe's number in her phone, as Teresa's words rang through her head. She had gone through the pros and cons earlier and ran out of cons. So before she could come up with some asinine reason to change her mind, she called Joe and waited for him to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey Joe, it's Carmen. I'm sorry if I woke you—"

"No need to apologize, sweetheart. You didn't wake me," He said and Carmen felt her body turn hot at the sound of his deep, groggy voice. "I'm glad you called, but I must say I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"I will be in a few minutes. I'm just having a glass of wine before I KO for the night," She said. There was a small pause before she spoke again. "I, um, I thought about what you asked me earlier and uh, if the offer is still on the table, then, I'd love to go to dinner with you."

"Great." Joe could not help the grin that formed on his face. It would probably be on his face for the rest of the night. "If you'd like, I could pick you up. Is nine o'clock a good time or you?"

"Yeah, nine's good," Carmen said. She gave him her address and they made small talk for a few minutes before saying goodnight to one another. When the call ended, Carmen put her phone and empty wine glass on the nightstand by her bed.

There, she had done it; she had took her friend's advice. After all, it was just date, but whether things went in her favor or not, if nothing else, this was a step in the right direction.

* * *

 _ **There's chapter two! Again to all those who showed support for the first chapter, I hope you'll do the same for this one; tell me whatcha' think. Will their date will go off without a hitch?**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN**_ _ **: Okay, this chapter is extremely late, and I do apologize for that, but so much has been going in my life lately that fanfiction, unfortunately, had to take a back seat. Plus, every time I would sit down and try to type this chapter, I just kept getting stuck (curse you, writer's block). However, the writing gods chose to bless me, and I was able to sit down and rewrite this entire chapter over the course of three days, and now, I'm finally able to update this.**_

 _ **I wanted this chapter to go up a long time ago. Mostly because the next two chapters are based around Christmas and New Year's, and I thought it'd be cool to post them at the same time as the holidays in real life, but with the hold up and the fact that I'll be off break soon, I doubt that'll happen. So just bear with me for the next two chapters. Please and thank you :).**_

 _ **My chapter tardiness aside, special thanks to**_ _WickedRedRose22_ _ **,**_ _thechanlou_ _ **,**_ _vkchev74_ _ **,**_ _BlondieC82_ _ **,**_ _Cena's baby doll_ _ **,**_ _Kaidence_ _ **and**_ _Ctinaisfashion_ _ **for your reviews. Now, y'all have been waiting for this chapter long enough, so I won't waste anymore of your time. Let's get to it, shall we?**_

 _ **P.S. I did some slight editing to the previous two chapters. The content's no different. I just think they flow a bit better, but I just thought I'd let y'all know just in case you wanted to read them again.**_

* * *

After getting out of the shower and wrapping her body in a towel, Carmen moved from her master bathroom into her walk-in closet to find something to wear for her date tonight.

Earlier, Joe had texted her with a change in plans for tonight. He didn't disclose much, but he did tell her to wear something that she wouldn't mind getting dirty. So instead of getting all dressed up, she went with something more casual, opting for a pair of black skinny jeans and a white tank top and paired it with some black ankle boots. She didn't wear make-up often but for tonight, she decided to wear some, but kept it minimal to give off a more natural appearance.

Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, Carmen looked herself over. On the exterior, she appeared cool, calm and collected, but on the inside, she was anxious. Four plus months removed from a break-up, and she hadn't been on one date. It wasn't like men had stopped asking because they still did. It was just the simple fact that she didn't trust men anymore. After all, if the one man she loved could break her trust, what made her think that other men were different?

When they first met, she had no reason to be guarded. They were just two adults having a conversation, but now that he was trying to pursue her, things were different. She didn't know what his intentions were or what would happen tonight, but just incase, her guard was up, though, she did promise Teresa that she would try and have a good time.

As she finished getting ready, her phone vibrated. It was a text from Joe. He had arrived and was waiting for her in the lobby. She grabbed her keys and her clutch purse, locked up the place and went to the elevator. On the way down, she tried to calm her nerves, but as soon as the elevator doors slid open and she stepped off and saw Joe standing there, they came rushing back over her like a tsunami.

Like her, he was dressed casual, wearing a pair of dark-washed jeans, a polo shirt, shoes and leather jacket, yet he looked even more handsome than she remembered. She walked towards him, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt. "Hi."

Joe greeted her with a warm smiled. "Hey." _Wow._ She looked beautiful. Her hair fell down to her waist in loose waves, framing the soft contours of her face. Her top fit snuggly against the top-half of her body, accentuating her chest. Her jeans hugged her thighs and legs nicely, and Joe started to imagine how they would feel wrapped around his waist, but he quickly pushed the thought to the back of his mind before his body could tell on him. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you. You look really good yourself." They walked outside to his car, and Joe opened the passenger side door for her. Once she got settled in and as Joe started the engine, Carmen noticed a tall bottle sitting in his drink holder. She picked it up to get a good look at it. "You brought wine?" She asked, her eyebrows raising once she realized it was her favorite bottle of red wine.

"Yeah, I remember you saying that it was your favorite and since where we're going allows me to bring a drink of choice, I thought I'd go with that one."

They had only been on the phone for a few minutes last night. She didn't even know that he had paid that detail any attention, but for him to take it into consideration and use it for their date tonight, was really sweet. In addition, it raised her curiosity about where they were going. "Okay, so where we're going involves drinking and the possibility that we could get dirty…what are we going to be doing exactly?"

He hesitated for a minute, unsure of what her reaction would be. "Going to a painting class…I thought it'd be something different to try." When she didn't respond, he glanced at her. "Is that okay?"

She nodded. "It's fine. It's definitely different, but it's a good kind of different."

They soon arrived at their destination and went inside to join the others who would be a part of tonight's class. Fortunately, it was a small class, consisting mostly of couples from the looks of it. As they were putting their aprons on and setting up their supplies, Carmen glanced around to see if anyone noticed Joe. With him being who he was, she expected a repeat from the first time they met, but thankfully, no one was paying him much attention. Hopefully, they would get through the night without being interrupted.

As the class began, Carmen decided to break the ice. "Are you a good painter?"

"I haven't picked up a paint brush since grade school, and I wasn't that great back then," He told, chuckling. He peeked at her canvas, watching her move her paint brush over it with light strokes. "Seems like you already got the hang of this though."

She shrugged. "I have a friend who is really artistic. Maybe I picked up some pointers from her. I did major in the arts in college though," She said.

Joe watched the instructor, trying to copy her technique. "Really? What college did you go to?"

"The University of South Florida."

"That's right here in Tampa, isn't it?" He asked and she nodded. "And here I was thinking you were a tourist," Joe joked, smiling when he heard her laugh.

"Nope, I'm no tourist. Tampa and I have four years worth of history. What about you though, you from around here?"

He shook his head. "No, I was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. I moved here when I started training to wrestle."

"How long have you been wrestling?"

"I started a little over three years ago, but my teammates and I came up to the main roster a year ago together as a tag team. We've been tearing things up ever since."

"Is it something you've always wanted to? You never wanted to do anything else?"

"Football was a big passion of mine for a while, but wrestling has always been my dream. Most of the men in my family wrestled from my father to my uncle, not to mention, numerous cousins, so it was never something you could get away from in my household. So once my time on the field started to wind down, I decided to trade in my cleats for a pair of wrestling boots."

Cracking open the bottle from earlier, Carmen poured herself a glass of wine. She went on, "When we met the other day, you said you had been in Texas all week doing shows. Do you travel a lot because of your job?"

"Oh yeah. We're in a different city every day of the week. Over the course of five days, we did shows in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Corpus and after the break, we got five more shows in five more cities before the New Year holiday."

A different city every day? No wonder he looked so exhausted when they first met. She had no idea he traveled that much. "How do you find time to sleep?"

"It's a challenge, I'll tell you that. I manage to get enough to get by, but I'll always wish I could get more."

"Well I hope you get more while you're home for these few days."

"Oh trust me, that's the first thing I plan on doing as soon as I land tomorrow."

They continued to talk, paint and sip wine, all the while listening to the instructor. Joe was on his second glass as he said, "But enough about me and more about you. I know you're a waitress, but I have an inkling of a feeling that there's more to you than just that."

"I'm not just a waitress, you know. I'm a barista first, but if I'm not at the café, then, nine times out of ten, I'm at the gym."

While Carmen's attention was on her painting, Joe looked her over. She wasn't too thin or too thick. Her waist was small, her hips slightly curvy and her backside petite. Joe licked his lips, some not so PG thoughts flashing through his head, but he snapped himself out of it, hoping she hadn't caught him staring at her as she met his gaze. "You, um, go to the gym a lot?" He asked, clearing his throat.

She had felt his eyes on her but chose not to dwell on that. "I'd like to go more often, but I try to go at least three times a week. You look like you're there everyday though." She observed.

"With my line of work, I have to be. Staying in shape is part of the job, and it keeps me and the boys from getting tired and lethargic throughout the day, especially after a long flight," He said. "Is there any particular gym you like to go to?"

"My best friend's dad owns a gym that I go to all the time, but if I don't have time to go there, then, I just stop by the gym at my condo."

"Well since we both go to the gym so often, perhaps we could make a second date out of it."

Carmen fiddled with the ring on her index finger as she pondered the thought of seeing him again, not knowing if she wanted to. She shrugged, hoping to appear nonchalant. "Yeah perhaps. We'll just have to see what happens, I guess."

Joe grinned slightly, hoping that a second date would be in the cards for him. "I guess so too."

* * *

Once the painting class ended, they went to a nearby sandwich shop to grab a bite to eat. The place wasn't too crowded, so they sat down and ate. When they finished, they left and started walking back to Joe's car.

Since it was later in the night, the temperature dropped. A breeze flew over them, and Carmen began to regret her decision not to bring a jacket as the cool December air littered her skin with goosebumps. She tucked her hands into her pockets and drew her arms in closer to her body. "You cold?" Joe asked just as another breeze blew over them.

"No, just a bit chilly." It was lie, but they weren't too far from his car, so she didn't want to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

Joe wasn't falling for it though and went to remove his jacket. "Here."

Carmen attempted to refuse. "No, I can't take your jacket. What if you get cold?"

He waved off her protest. "I'll be fine," He assured her, placing his jacket over her shoulders. The initial contact of her skin to the inside material of his jacket caused her to shiver again, but she soon warmed up. She could also smell his cologne on the jacket and impulsively, she pulled it tighter around her. "Versace?" She guessed, recognizing the familiar scent.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"My older brother wears it religiously. Actually, I think it's the only cologne he owns."

"He's a smart man then," Joe said and playfully, Carmen rolled her eyes.

A comfortable silence fell between them before Carmen spoke again. Despite her earlier hesitation, she ended up having a good time. Talking to him was just as comfortable as it was when they first met; it felt like she talking to a friend. It was a nice, not to mention that he was the perfect gentleman, sweet, funny, attentive. He seemed to possess all of the qualities a good man would have. Either he was just pretending to put on a good impression or he really was a standup guy. She hoped it was the latter. "I had a good time tonight, Joe. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," He said and licked his lips. He remained his suave self on the outside but was doing cartwheels on the inside, glad that his change in plans didn't blow up in his face. Considering their first encounter and that she was hesitant to go out with him in the first place, he didn't think things would go his way tonight. Luckily, faith was on his side, and she enjoyed herself. He'd had a great time with her too and hoped that this would be the first of many dates for the two of them.

When they reached his car, Joe went to stand in front of it and leaned against the hood. He grinned, watching Carmen tuck her hands into the pockets of his jacket and pull it closer to her. "You know, my jacket looks much better on you than it does on me."

Carmen glanced down, hiding a small smile and blushing cheeks. Joe enjoyed her coy reaction; her shyness was a turn on, but Joe also looked at it as a challenge. He didn't think she had a reason to be shy around him and if allowed, he wanted to show her that. Testing the waters, he reached out and cupped her cheek, the pad of his thumb grazing her soft skin. At the contact, her head raised, their eyes met and for a moment, Carmen felt like she was glued to the ground. Her heart was pounding in her chest, awaiting his next move and wondering what her own would be.

Joe's hand moved south, his middle finger tucked underneath her chin. His thumb moved over her bottom lip, and Carmen twitched against his touch. Her lips formed a thin line, and she glanced down, her nerves getting the best of her. He wanted to kiss her so bad, but he could tell her guard was up. The last thing he wanted to do was jump the gun too soon and ruin things between them before they could start, so he pulled his hand back and studied her face before he said anything. "You know, I'd really like to see you again, Carmen."

Feeling assured that he wasn't going to kiss her, she met his eyes again, thinking about what he'd said. She was unsure about seeing him again. It just felt like it was too soon and considering how much he traveled, was it even realistic? "When would you have the time, with your job and all the traveling you do?"

"When you care enough about something, you make time for it," He replied, "plus I won't be gone long when I leave again. I'll be back for New Year's and if you don't have any plans and you're up for it, maybe we could spend it together."

"Actually, I already have plans that night. My friend invited me to a party and I promised her that I'd be there," She told. At the mention of it, she recalled Teresa's words: _Maybe we can find you a date...it wouldn't hurt to have one._ If she had the opportunity to bring Joe as her date and didn't, Teresa would never let her live it down. In addition, Teresa would be too busy entertaining her own date to pay her any mind. If nothing else, Joe could keep her company. That way she wouldn't be stuck at the party by herself. She added, "You can come though if you want to."

"Am I allowed?"

"It's not my party, but I don't see why not. Plus, I was practically encouraged to bring a date. Unless you don't want to go..."

If going meant he got to see her again, there was no way he was passing up the opportunity. "No, I'd love to. Just tell me the time and the place, and I'll meet you there."

"Okay. I can text you whenever my friend gives me the details. Then, we can go." And just like that, it was set. She hadn't regretted going out with him tonight, so she only hoped that the same could be said about their next date together.

* * *

 _ **Looks like they had a successful first date and there was no fangirl in sight, lol. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this and again, I apologize for this being so late but life happens. I'm gonna start writing the next chapter as soon as I can, but I can't guarantee it'll be posted anytime soon, so I hope y'all can be patient with me. Until the next one, catch you guys later and please don't forget, leave your thoughts in the review box below. I'd really appreciate it!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN:**_ _ **First off, thanks to**_ _BlondieC82, Cena's baby doll, thechanlou, Ctinaisfashion, Kaidence_ _ **and**_ _Cotton Blossom Diva_ _ **for reviewing the last chapter. Thank you for your sweet reviews. On to chapter four.**_

 _ **Also, Happy Birthday to my OG bae, John Cena. He was the first superstar I latched onto when I started watching wrestling all those years ago, so I couldn't post this today without mentioning him.**_

 _ **And I heard the news about Roman's brother last week. I was scrolling through my social media, saw the news and my heart sunk. I couldn't believe it. My thoughts and prayers go out to Roman, his father and the rest of his family. R.I.P Matt.**_

* * *

Christmas had come and gone and now, Carmen and Teresa were back in Florida for tonight's New Year's Eve party. This year, the party was located at a [beautiful, three-story, luxury villa off the coast of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida. The two girls had arrived earlier to help Selena, Teresa's friend and hostess, finish setting up the venue. Now, they were occupying one of the bathrooms on the second floor as they finished getting ready.

"And apparently after dinner, Anthony pulled mom and dad aside and told him that Alice was two months along." Teresa told, recapping an event from her Christmas break while styling her hair.

Carmen listened as she stood in the bedroom getting dressed. "Wait, she's _already_ pregnant? Didn't she and your brother just start dating a few months ago?"

"They've been together for four months. Four! Anthony just turned twenty-one, and Alice is only nineteen; they're practically kids! I don't get why they weren't more careful. He knows how hard it was for mom to raise me when she was nineteen. Why would he want to go and repeat her mistake?"

"Sometimes mistakes must be repeated before they can be learned from," Carmen pointed out.

"He's about to learn an eighteen-year lesson, that's for sure." Teresa came back into the bedroom, dressed in beige-colored, long sleeve dress. It clung to her body like a wet t-shirt. It stopped above her knees, crossed over at the waist and was cut out to show off some cleavage. She spun around. "What do you think?"

"It's a gorgeous dress; it definitely works for you," She said. "I, on the other hand, wouldn't be able to fill it out."

"What do you mean 'fill it out'?" Carmen motioned towards her chest. Teresa waved off her comment. "Car, you are not flat chested. You got enough boobs to stimulate Joe's imagination that's for sure, especially in that dress."

"Trust me, it's the push-up bra," Carmen said, turning around. "Can you zip me up?"

Teresa zipped up Carmen's dress, which was a bodycon, spaghetti-strap number. The straps and the bottom half of the dress was a bright red and the top half was white, adorned with a black, lace material. It wasn't the classic New Year's Eve outfit, but she thought it suited her well.

Teresa commented, "You look amazing. Hell, with all those curves, Joe might lose control of his brakes."

"You keep bringing up Joe like he's my man or something, but what about your boy toy, Aiden? You have a full display set up for him. Think he'll be able to keep it in his pants?"

The girls went back into the bathroom to do their make-up. Teresa responded, "Aiden will be fine, but even if he does have a problem restraining himself, trust me. I'll have no problem loosening that tension for him."

Carmen eyed Teresa, squinting as she registered her words. "Loosening tension for him…" When Teresa wiggled her eyebrows, it gave her away. "You slept with him, Teresa?"

"Geesh Car, don't say it like it's such a bad thing."

"I'm not. I just didn't…never mind," She said, realizing she shouldn't have been surprised. Teresa never was one to hide her sexuality. "You were safe, right?"

Teresa assured, "Of course, you've never known me not to be."

"Just making sure."

Teresa added, "And just in case you decide to—"

Carmen held her hand up, cutting her off. "Don't. You know I'd never."

"Alright, but if you change your mind, I got you covered."

She mumbled, "Good to know." As the girls finished up, there was a knock at the door, and Selena walked in, dressed to the nines in her own knockout dress. "Hey ladies, almost ready?" She looked surprised as her eyes landed on Carmen. "Carmen, you're wearing a dress?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "It fits the occasion, so why not?"

"I was so sure you were going to show up in a pants suit, but I'm pleasantly surprised and it actually looks good on you. It isn't a head turner, but it does the job," Selena said, her gaze scrutinizing. "I love your dress though, Tee. Where'd you get it?"

"Picked it up back at home, my mom's stylist got it for me. Cute, right?"

"Definitely. You might have to let me borrow that for a night out sometimes." Carmen heard a tinge of insincerity in Selena's voice but didn't dare mention it. "Well, I'm going to head back down, check on the guys and make sure everything else is running smoothly."

"Kay, we'll be down soon," Teresa said before Selena left. She asked Carmen, "I still get to meet Joe tonight, don't I?"

Since Carmen told Teresa that she had invited Joe, she had been clamoring about meeting him. Frankly, she didn't want Teresa to meet him just yet, mainly because they weren't even together, but she knew it was inevitable considering the situation. "He'll be here, so I guess so."

"You never told me how your date with him went by the way," Teresa hinted, and Carmen sighed, knowing she would want all the details, so she divulged some of them to her. "Aw, that's so sweet," Teresa gushed, happy for her friend. "Did he kiss you?"

"No."

"Why not? Did his breath stink or something?"

Carmen shook her head. "His breath was fine. He just didn't…honestly, I didn't want him to."

Teresa looked at Carmen like she had grown two heads. "What do you mean you didn't want him to? The date went well, he's attractive and he was a gentleman, right?" Carmen nodded. "So if the date went perfectly, his breath didn't stink and he doesn't have herpes or something, why wouldn't you want him to kiss you?"

"Reese, I was unsure about even going out with him and as far as kissing goes…" Carmen thought back to her date with Joe and that small intimate moment they shared, how he wanted and would've tried to kiss her had she not been so [hesitant]. "I don't know. I guess I was nervous."

"You can't let that trait hold you back, Car. You have to get back out there at some point."

"That won't be happening for a long while. The last thing I need in my life right now is another relationship to distract me."

"No one said anything about getting into another relationship. You should just go with the flow," Teresa advised.

Carmen sat down on the bed while Teresa stood in front of the full-length mirror, checking herself out and putting the final touches on her outfit. "Go with the flow?"

"Yes, go with the flow," Teresa reiterated. "You're thinking too far ahead, worrying about what will or won't happen and trying to label it before it can even come to fruition. Just focus on tonight and have some fun. You deserve it after everything you've been through."

Carmen's eyebrows scrunched up. "You've been handing out advice like [Dr. Phil] lately. Should I be worried?"

"No I'm fine. I'm just saying 2014 will be here in a few hours and I don't want you bringing 2013's baggage into the new year. It's only going to drag you down, and I, as your best friend, won't let that happen," She said and motioned towards Carmen's phone. "Let me see your phone."

"My phone?" Carmen handed it to her, skeptical of her friend's intentions. "What for?"

"You'll see." She typed something in on her phone and handed it back to her. "You should receive a reply soon."

"A reply? Reese, what did you do!" She looked at her screen and her face turned red.

To Joe:

 _Can't wait to see you tonight, handsome ;) – Carmen._

"Reese, why would you do that?"

"I'm helping you have fun. Now, just wait until he replies." As if it was on cue, a reply from Joe came through her phone, and Carmen turned red. Teresa grinned, her arms knowingly crossed over her chest. "You can thank me later tonight after I meet him." Teresa's picked up her own phone and checked it. "I'm going to go meet Aiden outside. I'll see you downstairs in a bit. Remember what I said, go with the flow."

When Teresa left the room, Carmen looked back at her phone, rereading Joe's text. Maybe Teresa was right. _Wow, never thought I'd say that._ Maybe she was reading too much into this, but just going with the flow was not going to be a walk in the park for her, but she owed it to herself to at least try.

* * *

Once the party was underway, the villa became filled with people, music, drinks and food. Except for hanging out with Teresa and Aiden, Carmen stayed to herself. Devon showed up with Kara awhile later, so she hung out with them until Joe called her. He was on his way, so she agreed to meet him outside. Just as she walked down the driveway, she saw his Range pull up and park along the side of the road. He stepped out of his car looking like a million bucks. "Hey Joe."

"Hey gorgeous. Sorry I'm late. I-275 had more traffic than I expected." He brought her in for a hug, his cologne wafting through the saline breeze and over nose.

"It's fine. You made it in one piece and that's all that matters," She said. "How was your Christmas? Got some rest I hope."

"I did but it didn't seem like enough. My break went by so fast, you know." Joe looked at villa, surprised by its size. He was expecting the party to be at a condo or maybe a small beach house. Certainly, he didn't expect it to be at a beachfront mansion. "Your friend has a nice place."

"Oh this isn't my friend's place. It belongs to a friend of the hostess or so she says," She told him. As they walked towards the villa, Carmen could hear murmurs coming from some of the party-goers. The murmurs didn't register until she heard one of them mumble Joe's ring name, then it hit her. She wasn't here with just anyone; she was with Roman Reigns. _Carmen, how could you be so stupid?_ Carmen stopped mid-stride. "I almost forgot. The front entrance is really crowded. We can just enter from the back."

Carmen took his hand and lead him around back. A few people were scattered here and there, some in the pool, others near the bar, but none of them paid Carmen or Joe any mind, so they entered the villa unnoticed.

The two of them went to the third floor, the less crowded of the three stories, and spent most of their time there, talking and getting to know each other. Teresa and Aiden came up later, and Carmen introduced Joe to Teresa. The four of them talked a while before Reese and Aiden went off by themselves. Carmen and Joe remained on the third floor, talking and nursing a couple of drinks. "How was it getting back on the road? I'd imagine you're really sore?"

"I'm a bit banged up, but it's nothing that a warm shower can't handle," Joe said. "I'll be ready to go when I hit the road again."

"When are you leaving?"

"Friday morning. We're gonna be going non-stop for the next two or three weeks, but before we leave, the boys wanted to have a New Year's barbeque. Their idea, not mine but of course, I agreed to have it at my place. It's tomorrow evening. I don't know if you have plans already, but if not, I'd like for you to be there."

 _Just go with the flow._ "I think I'm free tomorrow evening. Do I need to bring anything? Food, drinks?"

"Just your presence, the boys and I will handle the rest." Joe eyed the pool table in the corner after throwing his can away. "Can you play?"

"Pool? Oh no. My brothers tried teaching me when I was younger but I could never get the hang of it."

Joe grabbed a pool cue and approached the table, stepping in for a guy who was leaving. The guy he played against had an awestruck gleam in his eyes, and Carmen could tell he was a fan as Joe made him look like an amateur. Joe came out the victor and shook the guy's hand before signing his phone case for him. Joe looked at Carmen. "Wanna give it a try?"

"Okay, but I'm telling you I'm horrible at this."

"I'll show you, come on." Joe passed her his pool cue, showed her how to hold the cue and shoot one of the ball into a corner pocket. Carmen tried to mimic what he showed her but to no anvil. "Here, stand in front of me." Joe placed his hands on her waist and guided her to stand in front of him. His right-hand move to the end of the pool cue, while his left-hand closed over hers.

"Ready?" He leaned into her, his chest inches from her back, his breath dancing over her cheek. The closeness set butterflies loose in her stomach. She nodded and with his guidance, she took a shot, knocking a striped ball into a pocket.

"See, you got it." Joe helped her with a couple more shots before letting her take a few on her own. "Maybe we can play a real game together sometime," he said, throwing out a hint, hoping she caught it.

She pointed the pool cue at him. "If I ever get the hang of this, you're on."

"Carmen, I didn't know you invited someone." Selena came into the room, spotted Carmen in the corner but Selena's eyes honed in on the large, muscular man besides her. "Care to introduce me?"

 _I wouldn't introduce you to my dog if I had one._ "Sure," She said, her lips pursed. "Selena, this is Joe. Joe, this is Selena. She's hosting tonight's party."

Joe held his hand out to her and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine, handsome." Selena grinned, her eyes undressing his large frame. "Are you enjoying the party so far? Hopefully Carmen here is showing you a good time."

"Uh, yeah it's been good so far. The place is amazing."

"Thanks, I'm glad you like it." Carmen did her best not to roll her eyes at the overly sweet smile Selena flashed at Joe. "What about you Carmen? I know parties aren't exactly your thing."

Her lips drew into a tight, thin line. "I'm fine."

"Well that's good," Selena replied, her tone not as caring as she tried to make it seem. She looked back at Joe and her hand touched his forearm. "Well I won't take up your time, just wanted to check on my guests. It was very nice meeting you, Joe…Carmen."

Joe heard Carmen scoff once Selena was out of earshot. "I take it you aren't too fond of her," He assumed.

"Not in the slightest," She said, "but I don't want to think about her. Let's just enjoy the rest of the party." Carmen and Joe went to the second floor and joined Teresa and Aiden at the bar. As they sat and talked, occasionally, someone would approach Joe and ask him for a picture. He politely declined but agreed to sign something for them. While he signed some napkins for a couple of female fans, she checked her phone and noticed that she had two missed calls.

 ** _2 missed calls, 754******* 11:27 p.m._**

She stood up and excused herself, going out the side doors at the end of the room and onto the second-floor balcony. She redialed the unfamiliar number.

"Hello?"

Carmen could music in the background. "Hi, um someone called my phone from this number a few minutes ago."

"Can I get a name, darling?"

Someone from an unknown number called her and wanted _her_ name? "Carmen."

There was some static on their end of the line before Carmen heard someone talking. "You have a returned call. Try not to hold up the line, honey."  
…

"Carmen?"

Her heart ached as she recognized the voice. Only one person called her that. "Why are you calling me? And from a strange number at that?" She asked.

"It's been awhile, darling. I just wanted to hear your voice. I tried getting in touch with you a few days ago, but I guess you were busy. How was your Christmas?"

"It was fine, different but fine." There was a pause as Carmen tried to not let her emotions get the best of her. "Yours?"

"Nothing like last year's that's for sure. It wasn't the same without you, angel."

"I'm not your angel."

"You'll always be my angel, darling."

"No, I stopped being your angel the minute you brought another woman into our bed."

"I made a mistake, darling. You know she didn't mean anything to me."

"You threw away everything for her, so I guess she meant enough."

He sighed. "Darling please, you have to believe me."

"Carmen." She turned around to see Joe coming out of the house carrying two [flutes] of champagne.

"I have to go," She said, cutting off anything he was about to say, hung up and put her phone into her clutch purse.

Joe approached her cautiously, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. "I wasn't interrupting, was I? I saw you were on the phone."

Carmen shook her head. "No, you're fine." Again, she tried to keep her emotions in check and pushed the conversation to the back of her mind. Joe offered her a glass and she took it, taking a sip of champagne, and changed the topic of conversation. "I saw you making a few new friends."

He apologized, "I'm sorry about that. I know tonight was supposed to be about you and me spending time together—"

Carmen waved off his apology. "Joe, you don't have to apologize. I get it. It's part of your job. You're a handsome man, and women are going to flock to you. It's not your fault; it's just how things are."

It was a relief that she was so understanding about that aspect of his job. It was nice, but he picked up on the complimentary part of her statement. He wiggled his eyebrows. "So you think I'm handsome?"

"Yes I do. You clean up very well," She remarked, openly checking him. She reached out to touch his right arm. "I never noticed you had a tattoo. Is that a sleeve?"

Joe held out his arm, rotating it. "Yep. It's a Samoan tribal. Got it over a year ago."

She examined the detailed ink, awed at how nice it looked. "It must have taken hours to finish."

"Four sessions, thirty hours total," He said. "Might add some more to my chest or my back later on. Have any ink of your own?"

She nodded. "I have a few. Nothing as detailed as yours, that's for sure, but they all have their own, unique meaning," She told, then decided to be a bit flirty. "Play your cards right and I might let you find out where they are."

Joe's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Teresa came to the door and yelled, "Hey guys, come inside! The countdown's starting!"

"Well let's go bring in the new year, shall we?" Carmen and Joe went inside and surely enough, the room was packed with people counting down to the clock to the new year. The two of them found a spot in a far corner of the room and took in everyone's excited as they counted down to 2014.

 _Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen! Twelve! Eleven! Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!_

 _Happy New Year!_

As the clock struck midnight and 2014 began, Carmen's cell phone screen lit up.

 ** _1 New Message, 754*******, 12:00 a.m._**

 _Happy New Year, Angel. Love you, always will._

And just as she thought she was going to start her new year off right, a text message from her ex reminded her that her past couldn't be easily pushed aside.

"Happy New Years, gorgeous." Carmen met Joe's smile and tried to match his, but it felt forced and seemingly, Joe picked up on that. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," She lied. "Happy New Year."

* * *

 _ **There you go, guys! That's chapter four. Again, I apologize for this being so late. Just like the previous chapter, I planned for this to go up last month but that obviously didn't happen. This semester of college is coming to an end and soon, I'll have a break and won't have to worry about classes, so maybe chapters will be more frequent then.**_

 _ **But until then, tell me what you guys think of this one. How happy of a new year do you think it'll be for Carmen? Only time will tell I guess. Remember to leave a review; I'll greatly appreciate it.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I know it's been a while but a lot of stuff has been going on. I'm sure – at least I hope – y'all have been wondering about this story. Well I got some news, both good and bad. I'll hit you with the bad news first, but you'll want to continue reading for the good part, trust me. So I'm going to delete this story…HEAR ME OUT. I have this whole vision about what I wanted to accomplish with this story, how I wanted it to be and look. I'm a perfectionist – it's a blessing and a curse sometimes, I swear – but I didn't want to rush progressing this story because when I rush, things don't go as planned and unfortunately, I think I've done just that. I clamored to myself about how I didn't want to publish a chapter if I wasn't completely happy with it and honestly, I'm not 100% happy with how these first four chapters have turned out. However, (HERE COMES THE GOOD NEWS), I have been rewriting the chapters and I plan to RE-POST this story very soon, probably in a few weeks. Chapter one is already finished. I just need to proofread it and all that jazz, then, it'll be up. In addition, I'm working on chapters two and three. Chapter four's a different story, but I'll tell y'all more about that once we get to it. Anyways, not much of what you've already read will be any different. After all, there's still so much of the story you don't know about yet. But as I get the chapters rewritten and re-posted, I hope you all will stick around and read and review again and continue to show the support that you have. I will – as always – greatly appreciate it.**

 **Keep on the lookout, chapter one is coming soon. I promise.**


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